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Despite the world's economic troubles--or perhaps, because of
them, according to some economic theories--Bentley and its very
wealthy clients are doing better than ever. A new Continental GT Speed Convertible was just
launched in Detroit, and the brand's first SUV is nearing final
approval. There's even a new racing program starting up this
year.

So what does the near future hold for the brand? We sat down with
Bentley's president and COO, Christophe Georges, to find
out.

The EXP 9 F concept SUV shown at last year's
Geneva Motor Show was met with widespread derision over some of
its aesthetic choices, though we found the overall shape, and
certainly the interior, to be right on the mark.

Bentley has recognized the concept's controversial nature, but
says that's what a concept is supposed to do--drum up discussion
to help gauge interest in the idea, not necessarily the design.
As Georges put it, "It was the first time in our history that we
showed a concept, because we are entering into a new market
segment. It was important for us to gauge the interest."

As for whether the Bentley SUV will actually be built, it's
basically a foregone conclusion, though the company is still
reviewing the business case and awaiting final approval. "The
decision to go ahead with it, we expect it to come quite soon. We
are still reviewing the business case, etc., but we are very
confident in the business case of the SUV," said Georges.

Bentley's largest market is currently the United States (though China is growing quickly), and it expects the
SUV to sell well in America. "The SUV would predominantly satisfy
American consumers, and Chinese consumers as well," said Georges.
"Russia and Europe would do well too, but it is not the same
scale ... America is clearly a great market for SUVs, in all
categories."

But will the SUV steal buyers away from Bentley's other models?
Perhaps, but Georges also sees the SUV as an additive element, as
well as capable of reaching into new markets currently untapped
by the brand's sedans, coupes, and convertibles.

"Most of our customers have an SUV, and are asking us to make one
because they cannot move up from what they have. So it would be
quite natural for us," said Georges. He continued, "Our customers
traditionally have several luxury cars in their
portfolio. They could happily replace their SUV with a Bentley.
They might not be able to buy the SUV at the same time they but a
Continental, but it will definitely open a new market segment,
with a lot of interest not only from our customer base, but from
new customers as well, therefore volume will grow."

There won't, however, be another concept to further gauge
potential customer reactions. "Today we are currently working on
the business case. There is no plan for another concept to be
shown. We have done our studies, we have to have final
confirmation, and once we receive that, we are going to move on
our final car," said Georges.

As for pricing on the Bentley SUV, it's still too early to put a
number on it, but Georges says, "It will be consistent with our
existing range. The SUV will be a Bentley interpretation of what
an SUV should be."

The Next Flying Spur

A revised Flying Spur has been captured in testing by our spy photographers on several occasions,
as well as on video. While a time frame for its arrival
is still murky, it's expected to benefit from a number of
upgrades recently made elsewhere in the Bentley range, including
the addition of a V-8 engine option.

Georges, however, said the Flying Spur is not currently a
priority. "It's too early to speak about it. We are launching
this car [the Continental GT Speed
Convertible], we have shown our SUV concept, we have shown our
GT3. We have to digest all of that, and later on we will speak of
things, but it is too early."

The implication was that the Flying Spur refresh won't be on the
table before 2014.

On Moving Down-Market

The idea of a smaller, even sportier Bentley is intriguing. As
Jaguar and Aston Martin
encroach on space that could be seen as nearing Bentley with
ever-more-luxurious high-performance grand tourers, might there
be a place for Bentley to move slightly down-market, or to at
least offer a smaller car, to compete with these cars, and
potentially grow volume even further?

No, says Georges. "To go smaller, no, this is not part of our
plans. I think we have established our position quite well in the
market. We do not have any intention to go below [our current
model range]. We can have a horizontal move within the segment,
but we don't need to go below vertically."

As we already know, the brand will begin testing of the car later
this year, with a full-scale customer race program and
works-supported team for the 2014 season. But how strong is
interest in the Continental GT3 race car?

"Interest in the car is picking up," said Georges. "A lot of
teams are contacting us. If you think about the sponsors,
associating your name with a Bentley in GT3 is very
interesting."